Expect The Unexpected

Chapter 4

Everyone thinking I'm dead is like mourning a death for me.

It's reliving everything, as old articles show up in the newspaper about me and my childhood and my parents. I pop up on the news.

Every Sunday the whole town goes to church and every seat is always taken, and yesterday was Sunday and they had a memorial.

For me.

The world knows I'm dead.

It's been a month since then and I've wandered the property and only left my place when we find a lead on Geoffrey Gray.

Which is nothing.

I'm nowhere closer to finding my family.

There's some stupid talent charity event for children who grow up in foster families, and it's dedicated to me, and Alex is forcing me to go, so now I'm standing in the crowd while they talk on the stage, and then I hear somebody scream.

I turn around and see a girl, my age, I think her name is Amber, and then people start gasping and whispering.

I look at Alex, panicked, and he's staring at the stage, and all the color has left his face.

I look up.

And I see.

Oh my god.

I stare for a long time.

I see a blonde man with curly hair and a beard. He's tall, probably five foot nine, and a blonde woman next to him, she's blonde also, but her hair is straight. She looks tired, and she's my height.

Five foot five.

"Stephen and Odette Nole." The man, who is also the church's priest, he looks shocked.

My parents.

I can't move.

They're alive.

"They shouldn't be up there alone."

I start moving towards the gate, but Alex grabs me.

"The world thinks you're dead." He hisses.

People are still.

They're holding hands.

I'm holding my breath.

This isn't real.

This can't be real.

I see them looking around the crowd.

Dad turns towards the priest.

"Where is my little girl? Where's Elizabeth?"

Silence.

People are sobbing.

"She's dead!" some kid from the crowd shouts.

I cover my mouth with my hand.

Mom looks at him, and Dad does, too.

"Dead." Dad repeats. "No, I can't believe that."

He shakes his head, frantically.

"It's been twelve years." Somebody else says.

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I went crazy, sprinted to the truck and went flying back to the house.

I packed all my shit, left the letter open on the table, and took off, running.

I don't know how to drive this damn truck, and it's a struggle to get out of here.

My parents are with the police, apparently.